Review:
Pusha T, previously of the duo Clipse (everyone should listen to Hell
Hath No Fury) with his brother No Malice, has garnered a ton of
anticipation for his major label solo debut My Name Is My Name. Ramping up to
this album, Pusha dropped the excellent mixtapes Fear
of God and Wraith
of Caine in addition to the EP Fear
of God II: Let Us Pray, as well as some strong verses on G.O.O.D. Music’s Cruel
Summer.
My Name Is My Name feels
different than what fans have come to expect from most current mainstream hip
hop. Much like Kanye West’s Yeezus,
it is raw, angry, and biting. But unlike Yeezus, Pusha T’s flows and persona
feels much more connected to the streets. He is known as the king of the
coke-rap, and on My Name Is My Name Pusha spends a lot of time reflecting on
his past slinging white. The album plays like testimonial – a man looking back
on his past with mixed emotions. However, Pusha also announces himself as a
force to be reckoned with in hip hop – and this album backs that up.
Musically, the album has a very
dark, almost industrial, tone, which works very well with Pusha’s lyrics and
delivery. Kanye West oversees much of the production, giving Pusha T wonderful
and fresh beats – and he and the album really benefit. Pharrell Williams also
supplies two tracks, one of which (Suicide) sounds like it is a throwback to
Pusha’s Clipse sound.
The album is a sparse twelve tracks,
but really would have been better and tighter if it were only ten. No Regrets
and especially Let Me Love You are fairly weak, with the latter not even
fitting the album at all. Also, My Name Is My Name is probably overcrowded with
featured guests. However, unlike many recent hip hop albums, a few of the
guests actual bring something to the record – namely: Kendrick Lamar,
The-Dream, Future, and Rick Ross (though, it is kind of funny that on Hold On Pusha talks about rappers pretending to be hard, cut to: Ross going in on the track - a man whose whole persona is fabricated). It is surprising the Kanye West (though, he
does have un-credited vocals on Hold On) and No Malice do not show up on the
album with guest verses. Pusha has great chemistry with West (as heard on their
multiple G.O.O.D. Music collaborations) and it just seems like a missed
opportunity, given all the guests (did we really need verses from Jeezy, 2
Chainz, and/or Big Sean?).
My Name Is My Name is both
fantastic and slightly disappointing (which is completely due to the two weaker
tracks that could have easily been dropped). But Pusha T has certainly thrown
his hat into the conversation for who are best MCs right now. This is a vital
album, pulsing with coarse emotion and skill. 4/5
Essential Tracks:
Available on: Digital
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